Shivani: should I reinstate?

[Shivani]

Should I reinstate , my husband is most affected by my withdrawal symptoms !

 

Hello Members 

 

I have read many posts , still when someone address your concern it gives you confidence .

 

Based on my signature you can see I am surviving my complete taper off from September’22 onwards . 
 

I am suffering anger spirals once a week or once in 2 weeks . As per my partner , it’s almost every other day . He feels like my withdrawal symptoms are too heavy for him to handle .

 

I am almost 2.5 months into this . 
 

Is reinstating my only option ? To bring harmony in my house hold ? 
 

This sounds like a. private matter , so I am sorry if it sounds like I am washing dirty linen in public . But I really need someone to show me some light on this .

 

Love and light

S
 

Edited November 23, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  Congratulations on getting off of paroxetine!  Your anger spirals could very well be a withdrawal symptom from getting off the drug.  It sounds like you may have tapered too fast off the rest of the drug in September and October.  These drugs are very powerful, even and especially at the lower doses.  One of the symptoms of withdrawal is neuro emotions, which just means we get negative emotions as a result of our nervous systems being destabilized from withdrawal.  More on this later. 

 

I assume clono means clonazepam?  That is a benzodiazepine.  Do you take this everyday?  What is your dosing pattern for this?  How often do you take it, on average, and how long have you been taking it?  Does it help with the anger spirals? 

 

Does the GABA supplement help with the anger spirals or other symptoms? 

 

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications, and why it's so important to taper slowly and carefully, and be very cautious about changing our doses: 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

Here is a link with checklists of common WD symptoms: 

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

Here is some information about neuro emotions and anger: 

 

Neuro Emotions

 

Managing Anger

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Stability is really important when we are tapering off psych meds.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

What other symptoms are you having besides the anger spirals?  How is your sleep?  How is your eating and day to day basic functioning?  If you can learn to manage and cope with your anger, you may not have to reinstate the drug.  There are good mental health channels on YouTube that may help you with this.  Try, 

 

https://www.youtube.com/@juliakristinamah/search?query=anger

 

https://www.youtube.com/@Katimorton/search?query=anger

 

https://www.youtube.com/@InfiniteWatersRalphSmart/search?query=anger

 

https://www.youtube.com/@TheAnxietyGuy1/search?query=anger

 

 

 

 

 

[Shivani]

On 11/27/2022 at 11:58 AM, getofflex said:

assume clono means clonazepam?  That is a benzodiazepine.  Do you take this everyday?  What is your dosing pattern for this?  How often do you take it, on average, and how long have you been taking it?  Does it help with the anger spirals? 

 

Does the GABA supplement help with the anger spirals or other symptoms? 

Dear Moderator, answering you question. Yes with Clono I meant clonazepam. since I stopped in Sep, I have been on these 2 meds, so 3 months now so far. But I have stopped doing the cocktail of clonazepam and gabapentin from last 1 month, I am only sticking to gabapentin based on my doc's advise. I have to now almost take gabapentin once in 2 days. Gabapentin does take the irritability/anger few notches down . But nothing ever has stopped it . It keeps repeating every 2-3 days. and that maybe the withdrawal is taking its time as mentioned in any of these articles. My sleep is fine , I am able to sleep ok. I have started doing food moderation because of being overwieght in that last 1 year , somehow I am able to keep mu hunger down in last 3-4 weeks. Proper nutrition maybe ? Apart from anger spirals, I have sudden exhaustion tiredness + sometime crying feeling very emotional episodes. 

 

I had 2 questions ,

 

1) If my need of gabapentin is almost once in 2 days, it is almost as good as being back on taking Paxil everyday ? How am I supporting my taper off, if I am still on another drug to support daily stress. It's been over all 3 month . I know the recovery differs in each case, but clearly my system is still not able to manage without Paxil after 3 months. My doc's other advise was to get back on Zoloft (instead of Paxil) and take it for a few months and the taper off much slowly . Do u think that makes sense in my situation ? Or keep using gabapentin till I see longer gaps of needing it ?

 

2) Somehow since the taper off, not initially but slowly my motions have become very far and few almost like one small loose motion and that's it. Do u think / have heard before as one of the withdrawal symptom ? 

 

Thank you for you time and all the generous work you are doing. 

 

Thx

Shivani

[manymoretodays]

Hi there Shivani, and welcome from me too.

We are a site dedicated to helping those who are already interested in tapering off their drugs, and then also offer support around WD(withdrawal).

Is this your goal?  To get and then remain drug free one day.

This will require the ? beginning use of some non-drug coping to deal with the likely WD induced anger spirals.  And then the emotions that may arise after too.

One thing we do see often with WD is:

Neuroemotions

and so often, emotions ARE amplified in WD.  This can and will improve.  In the meantime, best to develop some skills to cope rather than taking further medications in my opinion.

Some further non-drug coping for what you mention in the way of WD symptoms:

Dealing with Emotional Spirals

Managing Anger

 

And sorry, I now see that getofflex had already given you some of the same, and additional really good links to topics and non-drug coping tips.

 

Are you committed then to staying off the clonazapam?  It sounds like you have stopped it already.  Just be aware that with drugs like clonazepam, or benzos.......it can only take 2 weeks of regular usage to become dependent, and then you would need to carefully taper off, as in the 10% or less of each previous dosage.  Best not to get into that situation, if possible.

 

On 12/6/2022 at 4:31 PM, Shivani said:

I had 2 questions ,

 

1) If my need of gabapentin is almost once in 2 days, it is almost as good as being back on taking Paxil everyday ? How am I supporting my taper off, if I am still on another drug to support daily stress. It's been over all 3 month . I know the recovery differs in each case, but clearly my system is still not able to manage without Paxil after 3 months. My doc's other advise was to get back on Zoloft (instead of Paxil) and take it for a few months and the taper off much slowly . Do u think that makes sense in my situation ? Or keep using gabapentin till I see longer gaps of needing it ?

 

2) Somehow since the taper off, not initially but slowly my motions have become very far and few almost like one small loose motion and that's it. Do u think / have heard before as one of the withdrawal symptom ? 

 

With your Gabapentin, if that is your remaining and last drug.  I would go with a daily dosage now, rather than once every two days and then also use your non-drug coping, and stabilize, prior to tapering off of that.  As you have been using it since September, you have established a physiological dependency, and so tapering will be the most harm free way to reduce it and then get off it.

 

If you are entertaining thoughts of ongoing prescription drug usage to manage your life, this may not be the site for you.

 

If wanting to taper......then with the Gapapentin:

I would take it as prescribed and daily.  As you have been doing every two days.......I might cut the total daily dose down in half and then  usually the total daily dose of gabapentin is split up into 2 or 3 times per day.  So my best advice would be to get regular and daily with the gabapentin, and then, at that point........let's go with 2 weeks, you could begin a taper off.

 

We go with a harm reduction model of tapering off psychoactive drugs.

Please see:

Why taper by 10% or less of my dosage

 

AND:

NEVER SKIP DOSES TO TAPER

 

No doubt your usage of both clonazepam and Gabapentin have contributed to your fatigue.  I don't think your fatigue is unexplained, that's what these drugs do.  And your skipping doses of gabapentin may well have contributed to your instability in mood and anger outbursts, etc.

 

*Tips for tapering off Neurontin(gabapentin)

 

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying in question #2, or what that symptom is by your description given.

You could look at this, the downloadable PDF WD symptom list and see if your symptom is there:

Dr. Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptom Checklist

 

and then, go to our symptoms and self care forum, and type the symptom in the search box-top right, and see how others have managed that WD symptom.

 

Let us know if you have further questions related to your tapering and WD.  And how you are doing.  Thank you.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

moderator manymoretodays(mmt)

 

 

[FireflyFyte]

As @manymoretodaysmentioned, I would try to get on a regular dosing schedule of gabapentin (2-3 times a day) so you are taking it regularly no more than 12 hours apart to avoid inter-dose withdrawal. From my understanding, it is not an "as needed" drug and should be taken consistently.